THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1984
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LUCE CONFIDENT OF PROGRESS TOWARDS SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT
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SOLID PROGRESS TOWARDS A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE, SAID MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE, MR RICHARD LUCE, ON ARRIVAL IN THE TERRITORY TONIGHT (THURSDAY).
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF HIS REMARKS:
+GOOD EVENING. IT IS VERY NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN AND 1 AM VERY GLAD INDEED TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO HONG KONG IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS AND I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
+MY VISIT, I MUST, EXPLAIN, IS PART OF THE REGULAR AND ROUTINE PATTERN OF CONSULTATIONS WHICH WE IN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ARE HAVING WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND OF COURSE IT FLOWS FROM THE MEETINGS WHICH YOU KNOW TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK IN LONDON WITH THE GOVERNOR, THE AMBASSADOR AND WITH THE PRIME MINISTER IN LONDON.
+1 MUST JUST STRESS THAT BRITISH MINISTERS ATTACH VERY GREAT IMPORTANCE INDEED TO THE CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND THEREFORE IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS LOOK FORWARD ENORMOUSLY TO MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR, WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, WITH UMELCO AND WITH LEADERS OF A CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG.
+NOW THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG INEVITABLY ARE LONG AND COMPLEX, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT AND IT IS NATURAL THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME. BUT, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN THESE TALKS. INDEED, AS YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ROUND OF THESE TALKS HAS JUST TODAY BEEN CONCLUDED AND THE GOVERNOR IS ABOUT TO RETURN FROM PEKING. AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SOLID PROGRESS TOWARDS A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
+1 WOULD LIKE ALSO TO STRESS THAT MINISTERS IN LONDON ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE STRAINS THAT UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE CREATES FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND IT IS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THE PENDULUM SWINGS, FROM TIME TO TIME, FROM AN ATMOSPHERE OF OPTIMISM ON THE ONE HAND TO AN ATMOSPHERE OF ANXIETY ON THE OTHER, AND THEN PERHAPS AGAIN TO AN ATMOSPHERE OF OPTIMISM. THAT IS NATURAL.
+BUT WOULD SAY THIS, WE NEED TO KEEP A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE. AND WE NEED TO AVOID TALKING OURSELVES INTO A MOOD OF CRISIS. LET US KEEP OUR NERVE.+
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